Life and Trust
by Spyden
Summary: After collecting the Pearls, Link encounters a submarine. What happens next leads him to question what the source of his Courage is. When your life is on the line, how do you keep fighting? Wind Waker.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Haven't published anything in a long time, but now here's something for your enjoyment (hopefully). I don't envision this being very long: I don't see more than three chapters right now. Legend of Zelda is owned by Nintendo, not me.

Thanks for reading.

**Life and Trust**

Over the salted sea, where only monsters and man-fish live, a small boat skims across the calm waters. The sailboat, no more than a day-sailer, is so small that it only needs one man to steer it to any place in the Great Sea. A passenger may ride along if they do not mind being a little cramped and the boat herself boasted a large cargo hold; much larger than one would think at first glance. For one, the sail could be retracted into the boat with ease, while still having room to hold a salvaging hook and a cannon, all of which the sailor could switch between on the fly at a push of a button. She was a wooden vessel colored a brilliant red with white trim, a lion's head fashioned at her bow, with red face, white mane and teeth, and golden nose and horns and eyes inlaid with sapphires. The boat is aptly called 'King of Red Lions', and so, it would also be appropriate to refer to this boat with the masculine pronoun, making him one of the few male ships sailing the sea.

At the helm of the ship, which is just above the rudder at the back, stands a boy no older than twelve. He is clothed in a green tunic and undershirt, white leggings and brown boots. A green pointed phrygian cap covers his blonde hair, both of which flap this way and that from the wind pushing the sail and the wind he is cutting through in King of Red Lions. The East wind pushes the boy away from Dragon Roost Island, a volcano of an island where not only the Dragon, Valoo, lives, but also the bird-people called the Rito. Their ability to fly has made many of them couriers for the many islands interspersed within the Great Sea, which, as is known by anyone who hears the dreaded tales of the sea, is very dangerous even to fly over, much less sail over. Only the bravest or fool-hardy people dare to live on the seas. These would include merchants, treasure-hunters, pirates, different kinds of monsters that prey on everything else, and this boy.

As the island shrinks behind him, King of Red Lions decides to make use of the ability that only he has; turning his lion head toward the boy steering on his back and speaking. "Link," he addresses the boy, "I realize that I permitted you to return to Dragon Roost Island in hopes of seeing Medli and Komali again, but we cannot risk delaying any further."

"Oh come on," Link replies, nearly whining, "I already told you that Medli and Komali weren't there. I just know that something big is going to happen when I place all three of these pearls on the Triangle isles. Two of them are already in place, and believe me, they aren't going to budge for anything now."

"Why the delay then? Why not place the last pearl and continue?"

Link sighed, "I just wanted to relax a little. Getting to the Southern Triangle Island was really difficult since it was swarmed by Seahats. And trying not to get caught in the huge Cyclone right next to Northern Triangle Island wasn't really easy either, or did you NOT feel how much I was struggling against the current that was drawing us in. We weren't even that close!" The King of Red Lions did not respond immediately. Sure enough, Link continues, "I wanted to see how Medli and Komali were doing, but they're both involved in some sort of training or something. But THEN one of them was telling me about a Flying Challenge that was built just to the East of the Island. I figured I may as well give it a try since I have my Deku leaf and the Wind Waker to help me along. I've always wondered how far I could fly with that thing."

"And after this, you will feel rested enough to place Farore's Pearl on Eastern Triangle Island?"

Link nods with vigor, "Yep, I stocked up on some supplies at Beedle's Shop at Dragon Roost. I'm ready for anything right now."

Satisfied, King of Red Lions turns his head to face forward once more. Already, the flight platform could be seen off in the distance. After some time traveling, they are approaching the wooden structure when something catches Link's eye.

"Wait a minute," He says for his boat's benefit, lowering the sail and looking just to the right of the Lion's head. Due south from the platform, a wooden barrel bobbed lightly on the calm sea. This would not be a cause for interest had Link not seen this strange sight twice before. "Looks like a submarine." He states with a smile.

Having learned the name from some sailors at the café on Windfall Island, these oversized wooden barrels could be seen in some locations around the Great Sea. They served as a location to store treasure of some kind, and considering that all of them usually were in the control of monsters, the treasure more than likely belonged to the man in control of the Forsaken Fortress far in the North-west. Link has yet to really meet the man that King of Red Lions has only referred to as Ganon with a grave tone, but knows that he controls the bird that kidnapped his sister and still holds her captive in that Monster-infested Fortress.

Needless to say, Link takes every chance he can at fighting Ganon's forces whenever he runs across them in the Great Sea. The first submarine he found, he destroyed all the monsters and found…a glass bottle. He was a bit disappointed at first, but has come to appreciate having a sturdy container around in case he needs to buy potions or catch fairies or even hold his Grandma's soup (his mouth is watering just thinking about it, stay focused Link). The second submarine he ran across held a team of Moblins, who were tough, but he had faced them a few times before by that point and was able to beat them and take the piece of heart as his prize. These strange containers seemed to give Link more stamina and energy, though he couldn't tell if it was really the item he held or just him proving himself worthy of such a privilege as extended stamina, and the item was given to mark a test having been passed. Every time Link tried to figure out the point of these mysterious Heart Containers, which would also disappear after he held them for more than a second, his head would start spinning and he would get nowhere.

Point is, submarines hold treasure that Ganon doesn't want others to have, which means that Link can use it to his advantage. All he needs to do is take down whatever is inside.

"All right! Slight change in plans, King." He says, reopening the sail and changing his course to match the submarine, "I'm going to check this submarine out first, then I'll try the Flying Challenge, and then we can set the last Pearl." The boat, to his credit, only glanced back and didn't grumble at the boy's alteration of their supposed plan. King of Red Lions, if he is nothing else, is at least patient.

They reach the submarine in the afternoon, with plenty of day left to finish the fight here and go on to the challenge afterward. Link readjusts and tightens his sword and shield and his other battle items before entering. The sword, while on the small side objectively, fit his body proportions well. It was a gift from Orca, the sword-master on his home of Outset Island, and Link makes sure to keep the blade sharp day after day. The shield is wooden but very sturdy, and is a family heirloom said to have been used by the great Hero of Time of the old legends. That said, the shield is also a gift from his Grandmother; given so that he could save his sister…her granddaughter. He cannot help but think of both of them as he grasps the shield, fitting it on his right arm, and drawing his sword with his left hand.

Before entering, he reminds himself that he also has his grandma's Elixir Soup in a bottle that is very delicious and somehow restores his strength and even increases it for a little while (there's even enough in the bottle for two servings!). In another bottle is a fairy that he grabbed from a fairy fountain. He did so at first from the suggestion of King of Red Lions, since the boy was concerned about trapping the small fairies in a bottle and forcing them to help him. Then Link found out that the bottle is a strange way for the fairy to accept the task of helping you at least once, since, while they never looked very happy to be caught, the bottle never stopped them from escaping and rejuvenating Link when he had taken a few too many hits.

Link decides to bring his boomerang, which must have magical properties considering it ALWAYS returns to him, no matter how he throws it (though it doesn't come back if he drops it, he tested once), but leaves behind the Grappling Hook, since it doesn't particularly help him in battle anyway. He also leaves the Deku Leaf, not foreseeing a need to fly in the confined space of the submarine.

Feeling ready, Link enters the doorway at the top of the submarine.

The proportions, Link finds, are what he has seen in other vessels like this. The barrel shape is a decent diameter, about ten times his own height from the bottom floor to the ceiling and about twice as long as that. The door he enters leads down to a raised platform that drops to the floor below and usually has another raised platform on the other side where the treasure is kept.

However, unlike the others, this submarine has no torches for light. The little sunlight that is streaming in gives him a little vision to see that there isn't much on the ground floor. Spotting a ladder to the left, he climbs down and moves slowly to the center of the floor. His foot runs up against a raised block which Link recognizes as a button. Steeling himself, he jumps on the switch. Two torches near the other raised platform (where the treasure would be) light, and he hears a high pitched siren sound.

Though not loud, it is alarming, and Link looks around him to spot the source. Link has seen quite a few monsters on his adventures, but this is the first time he has seen this one. It has the head of a crow, but is clothed in a blue robe that covers the rest of its arms and body. It holds a wand in one hand (obscured by the cloak) that gives off colored sparks in the darkness. Hovering a couple feet off the ground, it waves its wand in circle. _Must be some sort of wizard._ Link breaks into a run toward the monster. _Which means that I've got to keep it from casting spells._

Slicing his sword in an overhead strike, his blade cuts through the fabric of the robe and into flesh…he guesses. Hard to tell in this light, but the resistance he felt seems to support this. Before he can ready another attack, the wizard disappears. "Wait, where did-" Link is cut off by hearing the siren sound again. Turning, he spots the wizard on the other side of the submarine. "Oh no you don't." Link sprints to the other side, slashing his sword once more. The wizard gives a grunt of pain before disappearing once more, on the other side of the vessel.

Link repeats his strategy two more times before the wizard howls out and explodes in a puff of black smoke. "Okay, one down, what else?"

Raining from the ceiling, Link dodges the eight Chu-chus that land with a gelatinous splat around him. _This isn't so—_he starts to think until the siren sound rings again. This time, the wizard is floating higher than before. _I'm going to have to jump to reach him this time…but with all these Chu-chus around…_ Smacking away an incoming Red Chu-chu, he pulls out his boomerang and throws it at the jelly monsters, stunning them, giving him enough time to run his sword through them without much effort. He hears a "HA" from behind him followed by the sound of fire coming toward him. He rolls forward as three balls of fire land behind him, one hitting the last Chu-chu and the other two hitting the wooden floor, burning briefly and then snuffing themselves out.

Link looks for the wizard but cannot find it until he hears the siren once more. Dashing to the sound before he can even see the bird, he jumps and slashes at the wizard just as it appears. Link keeps up the pressure against the wizard until this one also screams before vanishing in smoke.

Catching his breath, Link stays alert, _I hope that's all of the—_a siren sounds, followed by another siren, as two wizards appear, floating well outside Link's reach. He scowls running toward one that is lower to try and catch an early hit on the birds. Before he can finish the action, a bouncing shadow catches his eye, and another sound fills the submarine.

NAna, NAna-naNA, naNA. The incessant child-like sounds and taunts can only mean that there is a group of Miniblins nearby. Link pales as the wizards launch fireballs at him, lighting up the submarine long enough for him to see the pack of five little goblins holding spears bounding toward him. Dodging the wizard's attacks, he slashes at the nearest Miniblin, as an unsettling thought enters the back of his mind. _This is bad._ The Miniblins surround him long enough to stick him twice with their spears, doing little real damage, but keeping him in one place long enough for a fire ball to hit him. Link rolls away from the Miniblins, putting out his burning clothes at the same time, and keeps moving to kill the little imps.

Five puffs of black smoke later, Link turns his attention to the wizards, still too high to reach.

NAna, NAna-naNA, naNA naNA NAna Na Na. The sounds echo not from the walls but from each other, as five more Miniblins appear and surround him once more. "All right, FINE, bring it on!" Link shouts, slashing through the little monsters, keeping on the move to avoid the wizards' attacks, their sirens sounding every time they reappear after having disappeared following each of their attacks.

Link can only see the yellow eyes and the white teeth of the miniblins from the dim torches except when the wizards launch their attacks. After killing twenty or so miniblins, and after another pack of five appeared, complete with their incessant NAna-naNA's, Link finds himself riddled with cuts and light burns. He sprints to far corner and downs half of his Grandma's Elixir Soup, healing up many of his lighter wounds and bolstering his strength, only to be stuck by a small spear.

_This isn't working, I need to target the wizards._ New plan in mind, he cuts through the Miniblins and dashes for the ladder to the raised platform he entered from. Link reaches the top, but is slowed by six balls of fire still burning on the upper platform. Seeing a wizard appearing near him, he readies his sword to jump from the platform and strike. Then a Miniblin hops in front of him. "No!" He pushes past and jumps, but the wizard is already disappearing and Link's sword passes through nothing but air.

Growling, Link pulls out his boomerang and throws it at the wizards. It stuns them briefly, but not a second later and they disappear, followed by a siren signaling their reappearance elsewhere in the submarine. He throws it at the Miniblins, who are knocked back by each throw and disappear after two hits, but their numbers prevent the boomerang's tendency to stun enemies from being useful. Several stabs and burns later, and downing the last half of the Elixir Soup, he makes for the ladder once more.

Just as he starts to climb, a Miniblin stabs his thigh, causing Link to tumble off the Ladder. The wound isn't deep, but Link scrambles to get back up as the Miniblins surround him again, running straight into a fire left by a wizard attack. Rolling the fire out, he slashes through the Miniblins once more and tries for the ladder again. He hears the NAna-naNA's behind him and a "HA", meaning that a fireball can't be far behind. He makes it to the top again, only there are no wizards near enough to strike this time, and the Miniblins hop up the ladder and bounce toward him again. He hears the siren call of a wizard appearing and jumps to strike it as it appears, but he jumps too soon and his sword passes through the shadowy form of the wizard. All the while, the thought in the back of his mind grows. _I can't beat them. I'm not strong enough._

He spins his sword around him, knocking the Miniblins back, only to see the fairy from his bottle swirling around him. The fairies are usually happy to heal and fly with a smile. This one could not hide the look of worry on its face as it healed him.

Clutching his sword and shield, he cuts his way to the ladder. More Miniblins come from the darkness, and stab him again as he begins to climb. He runs to the other side of the submarine, waiting for the Miniblins to follow. Only now does Link realize how heavily he is breathing, how his legs are heavy and unstable.

He dashes past the crowd of Miniblins and begins to climb the ladder to the higher platform so that he could reach the exit, but a fireball blasts him off the ladder to the floor once more. Rolling again to smother his burning clothes, the Miniblins take the chance to stick him a few more times with their small but sharp spears. Cutting free and stumbling to the far side again, he waits.

His shield arm is numb, and he's losing feeling in his left. He can't tell if he is seeing double or if there really are that many Miniblin bouncing toward him.

The Sirens sound, the Miniblin's chant their battle cry: NAna, Na, Na, NAna-naNA, naNA.

_If I can't…If…_Link tries to catch his breath, to keep his thoughts together. His clothes are wet, his hair is matted to his forehead, his hand is covered in a dark wetness that he knows isn't sweat._ I'm going to die here._

NAna, Na, Na, NAna-naNA, naNA.

Link looks beyond them to the ladder, which seems to pull away from him as the Miniblins draw closer. He hears the wizards launch their spells. He sees the burning flames fly toward him, and forces himself to run, his legs aren't working the way they should. Miniblins take passing shots at him as he runs past, but he manages to reach the ladder and start climbing. He hears the sirens again while only halfway up the ladder. The Miniblins already swarm beneath him, but he doesn't look down to check.

He rolls off the ladder onto the upper platform, hearing the taunts of the Miniblins as they near the top of the ladder and the wizards launching their attacks. He pulls himself to his feet and stumbles to the doorway, a fireball close behind.

-x-x-x-

King of Red Lions turns to the opening of the submarine when he hears a cry. He has heard that cry of searing pain before, and fears that Link may be in danger. He does not have to ponder long as the boy, on fire, jumps into the sea and flails weakly.

"Link!" The boat lowers his head, allowing the boy to wrap an arm around one of his horns, and pulls him into the boat. Link promptly collapses.

"We've…got to get to Windfall."

"Link, what…" King of Red Lions takes as good a look at the boy as he can in a second or two. His clothes are singed, cut, and wet with salt water and in some places stained with red. Open wounds continue to dribble out blood which runs down his head and neck and arms, pooling on the deck of the boat at an alarming rate. The King gathers himself to continue, already using what little power he has to cruise toward the setting sun, "Windfall is too far, we're going to Dragon Roost."

"Need…poti-" he coughs, thankfully not bringing up any blood, but Link groans and then falls silent.

"Link, look at me." The boat rocks himself lightly, "Look at me, Link!" Link, staying still, looks at the Lion's head. "You need to stay awake, do you understand?" the boy nods slightly, satisfying the boat as he pushed himself to go as fast as he could.

"I failed…" Link finally wheezes out.

"That doesn't matter right now, Link. But as far as I am concerned, you have not failed yet. Concentrate on living, do not let that desire to live slip."

"I…I" Link coughs and quiets again. King knows this silence, where the pain grows so great that any movement or effort at all only makes it worse. He is already past the point of screaming in pain. Link cannot lose consciousness now, and he needs help even sooner.

Unfortunately, he cannot use his sail, since he is traveling against the wind, and Link is in no condition to use the Wind Waker. He may be able to push a button though…

"Link, can you ready the cannon?"

After a moment, Link drags his arm the inches it needs to reach in order to raise the cannon in place of where the mast and sail would be.

"Stay awake, Link. Keep tapping the deck. You must not lose consciousness if you can."

King of Red Lions fires a bomb high into the sky, followed by several more as the sun sets.

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**A/N: **Thanks again for reading. Please review if you have the time, I'd love to hear what you think.

As a note, this is an adaptation of what happened when I was playing through Hero Mode in Wind Waker HD. I managed to escape the sub with only half of a heart remaining. Wizrobes are very hard to fight without the Hero's Bow. Very exciting and ended up inspiring this story.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note:** Legend of Zelda is owned by Nintendo, not me.

Thanks for reading.

**Life and Trust**

Link wakes up feeling various degrees of soreness and numbness, and he hasn't even tried to move yet. He risks turning his head to the left, and, along with the relief that moving his neck didn't cause him great pain, recognizes the design on the wooden door as evident of the Rito, being fashioned to look like a bird.

By the door is another familiar face, and he smiles weakly. Link attempts to push himself into a sitting position, and manages through a couple flares of pain.

"Oh, you're awake." Medli states as she sets a tray down on a nearby table. "How are you feeling?"

After catching his breath he replies, "Could be better."

Medli hands Link a cup of water, "You're lucky that Lord Valoo has good eyesight. He saw your distress shots even as far away from the island as you were. I had to get Quill's help to get you here."

Link's memory finally kicks back in, so that even before Medli asks what had happened, the fear and desperation that he had felt on the submarine creep back into his being, making him feel heavy and empty.

"I found a submarine, and I wanted to defeat the monsters inside and take the treasure. But…I wasn't strong enough." He looks down in thought. A familiar position to Medli, who had seen Prince Komali stuck in this same dilemma. She sometimes had to remind herself that the warrior in front of him was still just a boy. "I just want my sister back…but if I can't even protect myself, how am I going to save her?"

After a moment, Medli replies, "Part of me wishes that Komali were here, he might be able to talk the same sense into you that you did for him. But maybe you'll hear me more now than he did then."

"You have climbed this volcano to see Lord Valoo. You did so with very little preparation, right? You're swordsmanship was still a bit sloppy and you could hardly take a hit. I remember watching you fight with that Moblin. I remember seeing the confidence in your face and stance change to concentration. Then the Moblin landed a single swipe that flung you across the arena. I remember seeing a fairy revive you, and then you were afraid. The Moblin had taken a lot of damage already, but you grew much more cautious. Do you remember how you felt during that fight?"

"I remember thinking that I had to win. I had to save you. There wasn't another option. Seeing you there, you were so close that I just had to find a way to win." Link pauses, looking at the ceiling, "though I do remember thinking that I wasn't strong enough then too."

"You acted, even though you were afraid, that's courage, Link. If more people today showed the same courage you do on a daily basis, evil would have no place to hide."

Link shakes his head, "But that's just it, Medli, I tried my best to beat those wizards and miniblins earlier today,"

"Yesterday."

"Right, but I couldn't, I didn't have the power or the tools or the strength. I started looking for a way out…to run away. That isn't courage, and they weren't even powerful monsters either, there were just so many of them. What will I do if I'm faced with that force again and I can't run away? Then Grandma would be all alone. She was so sick just over losing Aryll-"

"Stop." Link complies after Medli's strong interjection. "It's good to know why you fight, but what ifs aren't going to help you. You went in, thinking you could beat the enemy, found out you couldn't, and left before they could kill you. Tell me, was there a point in that submarine where you stopped fighting?"

"Uhh…"

"The answer is no, because if you had, you'd be dead. So how are you still alive?"

"I ran."

"You mean they let you leave?"

"No, I had to fight my way out. What are you trying to get at Medli?" Link asks, a bit confused and offended by Medli's rising tone and what sounded like condescension. She was talking like his Grandma did sometimes, how old is Medli again?

"That leaving behind the treasure and those monsters and a chunk of your pride in exchange for your life is NOT the act of a coward. And staying would have been a stupid act, not a courageous one." She recollects herself, calming down a little, "Even in the time I've been on this island, I've seen more than one young Rito attempt to climb the volcano up to the Dragon Roost to receive their wings and fail. Some gave up because they felt they didn't have the strength, some thought they did and injured themselves when the volcano decided to prove them wrong. But even my old master would have attested that no Rito has ever failed to receive a scale. All of us know what it means to fall, it takes courage to keep trying despite this, and wisdom to learn from past mistakes." She pauses and still has Link's full attention, "It takes more courage to live than most people realize." Link fails to reply once more…that is, until his stomach growls for him.

Medli smiles, "Hungry?" Link nods, prompting Medli to leave for a moment to bring food. In the meantime, Link takes the moment to think over what she had said. His eyes wander to the tray that Medli had set down when he had woken up. On it are bandages, unraveled and stained red. He lifts his covers, noting that he isn't wearing his green tunic any longer, but rather a plain, long white shirt, which then leads to a simple logical connection of these two bits of information, along with the white bandages that are wrapped snugly around most him. Link's face and ears turn red at the image made in his mind and it is at this moment that Medli decides to return.

-x-x-x-

Still wrapped in bandages, but now hidden underneath his green tunic and the rest of his clothing, he slowly descends to the shore where The King of Red Lions waits in the shadow of the island as the sun rises in the East. Medli had insisted that at least the leggings should be thrown out, but Link could not bring himself to part with any part of the Hero's garb, noting that fairies seem to be very good at mending clothing if they have the extra power. A sobering thought when he remembers that the fairy that he had brought did not mend any part of his clothing during his fight in the submarine. Assuring Medli that he would head straight for Northern Fairy Island just to the southwest of Dragon Roost Island, she allowed him to leave, in turn releasing her to return to her duties with the Great Dragon, Valoo. Link was smart enough not to let her see him limping and hissing in pain on the way out.

Slowing even more as his unsteady feet reach the sand of the beach, he eventually stops in front of King of Red Lions before entering the water. He meets the sapphire eyes of the boat as the Lion speaks.

"Good to see you well, Link."

Link smiles, "I don't think I'm quite there yet." He pulls out the Wind Waker, but holds it in his hands, looking at its simple, yet elegant, design. "I'm sorry…I almost got myself killed over some-"

"Link," King of Red Lions' booming voice cuts through the boy's stumbling apology, "whether or not you made a mistake is not my concern." Link stops fully and listens, relieved that he didn't have to try and continue apologizing, "Exploring this Great Sea means that you must take risks, and conquering the mysteries of this ocean requires courage. I do not find fault in your wish to defeat Ganon's forces, though I do think that you need to be much more cautious and cognizant of your surroundings and limitations. Your life is too important to throw away in stupid bravado." Link lowers his eyes, focusing on the Wind Waker once more.

He continues, "That said, courage cannot exist without fear." Link looks up again. "Fear is a powerful emotion that can lead to irrational action, but can also lead to greater clarity, a clarity which only comes from courage, the strength to look beyond what is being feared and to move toward it. I am glad that you had enough presence of mind to know when you were outmatched, and the strength to act toward life, rather than panic and despair."

Link sighs, a wringing his hands around the Wind Waker, "But…what happens when I find myself in a fight that I can't win? What if I can't run?"

The boat pauses, choosing his words carefully. "Firstly, never let your fear get the better of you, always keep your head about you. Your reason can be sharper than any sword." He pauses again, looking off to the side before continuing. "However, you are right to worry. I'm glad to see you acknowledge that you are vulnerable…but acknowledging that comes with its own questions and doubts."

"Do you remember the first time we arrived here, when you had succeeded in freeing Valoo from Gohma's torments? You stood right here on this beach, saying your goodbyes to Medli and the young prince Komali. Do you remember what happened?"

Link thinks a moment, then replies, "He said that he was going to go see Valoo, and gave me Din's Pearl, saying he didn't need it anymore."

"Train your memory, Link, much more was said in that one moment than that. That Pearl was his keepsake, a memory of his grandmother who passed away recently. To him, it was not Din's Pearl, it was a symbol of his love for his grandmother. He gave you this saying, 'Giving you the thing I value most will give me the courage I need to stand up to bad things.' Komali gave his most prized possession to you, so that he could move forward without looking back in doubt and weakness. But his action is but a transitory step in his life."

"Tell me Link, what do you value most?"

"My grandma and my sister. That's why I'm doing all this."

"And what else?"

"What else? There isn't anything else."

"If your Grandmother and Aryll died today, what would keep you going?"

Link drops his arms and stares at the boat, "I…what?" he runs a hand through his hair, pulling off his hat, "I wouldn't be doing any of this if it wasn't for them!"

"Tell me, were you thinking of your grandmother in that submarine, when it finally dawned on you that you were outmatched?" the King asks firmly.

Link huffs, "I don't remember, there was kind of a lot going on at the time."

"I am no fool, boy. I have been around long enough to know that the mind never stops, even in the midst of battle. Did you think of her or your sister?"

"Why is this important?" Link responds, "Why is everyone asking me about what I did and how I did it and what I was thinking? I was fighting! Then I was fighting more and the monsters didn't stop coming. Then I was trying to find a way out and fought my way through that too. I was hardly thinking anything else."

"Except that you didn't want to die."

Link takes a breath, "Well, yeah."

"So let me ask you again, what is the thing that you value most? The thing that kept you fighting even in the darkness of that submarine and your fear?"

Link hesitates to answer, part of him was warning that if he said what was the obvious answer, that he'd be betraying the only ones who cared for him and counted on him. But part of him also knows the truth, "Living. I want live. My life is what I value most. But I also would do anything for my family…"

"True," King replies, "there are times when you have to fight to accomplish your goals." Link nods and the boat continues, "So, when what you are fighting for is so great and important that you are putting your life on the edge of sword, how do you keep fighting? How do you set aside what you naturally value most for the sake of another?"

"You…entrust it to someone else for safekeeping."

King of Red Lions nods once, "So, if you want to show perfect courage, then you must do this."

Link remains silent, and, at King's suggestion to start traveling, he conducts the wind to blow to the southwest with the Wind Waker. He wades through the saltwater and climbs into the boat, still cringing. He opens the sail and they set off for Northern Fairy Island. Link looks back at Dragon Roost, seeing Valoo resting on his perch at the top.

He answers the boat some time later, "I don't know how I can even do that."

"Hm?"

"I mean, I can't give my life to any other person. I usually travel only with you, and you're just a boat. But even still, I can't trust my life with someone if they can't really do anything about it. And I can't ask someone like Valoo or another spirit, since the best they could do with my life is try to avenge it if I were killed." Link sighs, "Is there anyone?"

King glances back at the boy, "Yes, it is difficult. A life is not something that you just give to someone without real discernment."

"You're alive, right King?"

The boat laughs, "In a way, I am, yes."

"Who do you trust? You know, who do you give your life to?"

King of Red Lions doesn't respond immediately. "I put my trust more in a what, than in a who."

"Huh?"

"I live for the future, I fight to try and keep this ocean safe. And to help you, of course."

"But…what happens if you get smashed or something?"

"What do you take me for? A rickety dinghy? I'm made of sturdy stuff, boy."

"Right, but how can you trust something that isn't even a person?"

"We're here." The boat states. "Take the time you need to refresh yourself, then we should place the last pearl." Link, a little put off that his question was ignored, jumps out and manages to make it to the rocky shore of the small heart-shaped island. The island only features a couple trees and a tall pink spiked conch shell. Underneath the shell is a fairy fountain, where he hoped that the fairies there could not only fix him up, but his clothes as well. Before dropping in, Link looks back at the small red boat, realizing that King of Red Lions is much more mysterious than he first thought.

"Hey, Link!" The boat calls.

"Yeah?" He calls back, walking away from the opening to the fountain for the moment.

"Ask the fairies about Farore!"

"You mean the pearl, or-"

"Just Farore, just ask!"

Shrugging, Link waves and drops into the fairy fountain.

-x-x-x-

"You look much better." King of Red Lions states, looking the boy over. Even his clothes are mended, and Link had taken the time to remove the bandages that were wrapped around him as well.

Link smiles, "Yeah, fairies really are amazing." He wades out into the water and climbs into the boat, "You ready to go?"

"I've been ready to go for quite some time, you little whelp."

Link chuckles, pulling out the Wind Waker and directing the wind to the south-east. The boy opens the sail and the two ride the wind to place the last pearl.

After Northern Fairy Island is behind them and shrinking, Link speaks up, "I asked the fairies about Farore."

"And?"

"They told me that she's a goddess that's responsible for making them. They said she's really nice…but that's about it."

"Hm. Tell me, Link, do you know anything about the goddesses?"

"uhhh, not really."

"It is said that three goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore, created this world and the living creatures on it. Din used her power to create and shape the land. Nayru, in her wisdom, brought order to the land and established laws that it would follow and obey. And Farore, with love for live, filled the world with life and a desire to live. The three worked together in order to make the world what it is."

"So then…why is…" Link starts, something about the boats tale clicking in his mind, "So are these the same gods that the people of that old kingdom prayed to? The lost kingdom?"

King of Red Lions, after a moment, responds, "Yes." Link opens his mouth to ask about the kingdom when the boat continues, "We established before that you prize your life more than anything else. I have seen that you possess more courage than most. Each of the goddesses is said to favor those who exhibit particular attributes. Din favors those whose will is strong and who show great power. Nayru favors those whose knowledge is great and who show great wisdom. Farore favors those whose love for the living shines through their being and who show the courage that is needed to stand up to the trials that living naturally present. Which of these three do you think fits you, Link?"

"Well…Farore."

"I think so as well."

"Hm." Link ponders for a moment before remembering, "Do you put your trust in any of the goddesses?"

"In a way. Though I will have to tell you later, we are here." Sure enough, the small island is just a short swim away. Link had not even noticed how far or fast they had traveled.

"Ugh, again? Can't you just tell me?"

King pauses once again, "I told you that I put my trust in the future, and I believe that the future is in their hands…but they do not favor me."

"How did you lose...wait, how did you gain their favor in the first place?"

"You have many questions, Link, I understand, but you must place the last pearl so that you can gain the power needed to save your sister."

Link huffed, "Fine." Grabbing Farore's pearl, he swims to the island. When he climbs onto land, he sets the pearl down to catch his breath.

King of Red Lions calls, "Link, could you please change the course of the wind so that it blows to the west?"

"Why?"

"I have a feeling that we will be traveling that way next."

Pulling out the Wind Waker, he complies and shrugs it off as a strange request. He picks up the pearl and climbs the ledges to the old and weathered statue set on the highest point of the island.

If Link had bothered to look back after placing the pearl, he would have seen his faithful red boat sailing away to the west.

-x-x-x-

"You could have told me that the statue was going to blow up…stupid boat." Link mumbled as King of Red Lions floated outside the Tower of the Gods, recently risen from the depths of the ocean and which Link had promptly crashed into after the being blown through the sky from Eastern Triangle Island.

"Yes, but then where would the fun be in that? You, more than any other human, has enjoyed the experience of flight now twice! What a thrill!"

"I hate you."

"Yes, yes, but in all seriousness, we are here at the Tower of the Gods. This tower, which the pearls of the gods have caused to appear, is a place that the gods of the ancient world prepared so that they might test the courage of men. Only one who is able to overcome the trials that await here will be acknowledged by the gods to be a true hero. Only then will that hero be permitted to wield the power to destroy the great evil. Link, that which you must obtain now lies before you! You must believe in your own courage, which has led you to triumph over the many hardships you have faced...and you must triumph once again! You must rise above the trial of the gods!"

"Yeah? Well, what if I'm not so sure I can do this?"

"You asked how to gain the favor of the goddesses, conquering the trials of this tower is a sure way to do so."

"I get that, but that doesn't answer my question now." Link looks up and up and up at the stone white tower that seems to reach the ceiling of the sky. "I'm going to be fighting all on my own until I get to the top…"

King stares at the boy, _Just a boy_. _Perhaps his first real brush with death, and already his youthful confidence is being checked by his own mortality. It is always easy to convince the young to be courageous, since they have so little experience to draw fear from. Courageous to the young is known as confidence to the old, and, with age, confidence in oneself is not a necessarily a good trait to have._

The boat slowly cruises to the entrance to the tower. "Even in short time that I have been with you, you have grown, Link." Link turns to look at the lion, "You can't rely on your courage alone, nor your own power, nor your own knowledge. But remember, this is the Tower of the Gods. You are not fighting alone, the goddesses themselves are watching. Though you yourself do not have the strength to overcome such a high challenge, you can start to call on them even as you climb. You are fighting for their favor and power, but to achieve this you must also draw on the gods in order to attain their favor at all. Do you understand?"

Link's expression clearly read that he wasn't, "How do I draw on what again?"

"Let me explain it this way. Link, are you a god?"

"No, I'm not."

"Are you as strong as one?"

"No."

"And this Tower, this trial of the gods, can anyone complete it?"

"I dunno, I don't think so."

"Can someone complete it?"

"If they're strong, I suppose."

"Is any man alone strong enough to equal a challenge made by the gods?"

Link hesitates but shakes his head. "You're not making entering this Tower seem like a good idea."

King chuckles, but continues, "If this trial is set by the gods in order to win their favor and grant the one who completes it with the title of a hero, but men by themselves cannot hope to complete it, then why have the trial? What are they waiting for?"

"Uh…" Link is ready to say that he doesn't know, when a thought floats into his mind. "Trust. They're waiting for someone to trust in them."

"If you've already figured this fact out, then the tower is certainly within your skill to overcome." King cruises through the open door into the tower, "I have utmost confidence in you Link."

The boy smiles, "I'll do my best."

"That's all that's ever been asked of you."

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

**A/N: **There may or may not be an epilogue, but this short story is finished.

Thanks again for reading. Please review if you have the time, I'd love to hear what you think.


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